Osprey
Pandion haliaetus
These two photographs are of different Ospreys, both taken on August 14, 2012 at the Blackwater National Wildlife Reserve in Maryland. The Osprey is sometimes called the sea eagle, as it is a fish-eating raptor often found by the sea shore as in these photos--but it includes inland habitats as well. I saw one encounter between two Bald Eagles and one Osprey in the Grand Tetons. The Osprey was fishing; it saw its prey, hovered over the Snake River, plunged downward and successfully caught a large fish. It began to fly away with its prize, but the weight of the fish caused it to labor heavily and fly slowly. The Bald Eagles, perched in a tree by the river's side, observed this and instantly flew together toward the Osprey. Both harassed the Osprey until it dropped the fish, wisely choosing to live for another day while the Eagles enjoyed the fruit of the Osprey's labor. (Click on images to see enlarged versions.)